He worked for the North Devon Journal Herald from the age of 17 and various newspapers, becoming the Sports Editor of the Western Morning News in Plymouth. He joined Westward Television in 1961, though he worked for the BBC for the majority of his broadcasting career. He joined the BBC, to work on BBC2 in 1966. He was working at BBC2 even though Westward Television were not aware of this because at the time BBC2 could not be received in the South West. An article in the Daily Mail led to Westward TV learning about his BBC work and he had to resign from Westward TV.

He provided the BBC TV commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, also hosting the preview shows of the international entries, and compèred the 1975 Miss World broadcast, the latter resulting in some embarrassment because he found it difficult to understand what many of the contestants were saying.[2] He was the first presenter to introduce the tennis championships at Wimbledon (1967) in colour. He presented Wimbledon highlights until 1982 and also BBC's Show Jumping coverage.

He married his first wife, Shirley, in 1958. They had met through amateur dramatics and had two girls and a boy; lived together in Castleton Close, Mannamead, Plymouth; she died in 1970. He married his second wife, Mandy, in 1972 in Wokingham. They had a son.